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I say 'value' as I'm trying to stay under $400. Maybe I'm wrong in considering that as value priced lol. Anywho.. my Pioneer vsx-1021-k popped on me so I'm in need of a replacement and as it's Christmas I'm a little skint in the wallet. I've looked at Amazon and Best Buy but there are a million options and as the Pioneer burned me within 13 months of ownership I'm being more cautious with my decision this time.

Yamaha tends to be at the top of the reliability list so take a look at what they offer. Denon and Marantz also make very good product. You can also look at the Harman Kardon AVR 2600 which is on sale for $299 right now (newegg, ebay, buy.com, via worldwide stereo), but it is older and lacks a few features (but arguably has about the best amp section of anything you can find at this price, not that there will be a significant difference). Sony's are generally looked down on, but initial reviews of the DN1030 have been pretty positive so it might be worth a look (and the built-in wifi at this price point is unique) and I haven't heard repeated negative reliability reports on Sony receivers. The first thing to do is decide which features are the most important to you and then narrow your search from there.

The 373 is the entry model and is pretty stripped of features so you are looking at barebones basic model. It is also the only model out of the x73 series that uses IC chip amps instead of discrete amps, and it will not be as powerful as your old Pioneer. Unless you are trying to drive low efficiency speakers in a large space, it probably won't matter too much as it takes a doubling of power just to gain 3 dB's. Lack of features may be a disappointment coming from the Pioneer. (of course if it still does everything you need, why spend more?) I myself would look at the next model up, the 473, but it sounds like current street prices may be a bit high for you if your budget is only $250. If you are looking at saving money, you could also go for like a refurb Denon 1612 at Accessories4less. It will still come with a 1 year warranty. Check out the official Denon xx12 thread for more info. Again, you need to decide what features are important to you to sort of guide your decision. Older refurb models are often great ways to save money on a high quality product if they have the features you want. You can often get a lot more receiver for the money that way.